Do you ever wonder about the story behind some of the gorgeous homes featured on a designers website? We know we do. We put some questions to design company PH London about one of their recent renovations.

Tell us a bit about your company

We offer a range of design and build services for both residential and commercial clients. We can take your project from initial conception, through the planning approval process and build, to delivery of the final product: your home or workspace, beautifully renovated and ready to move into.

Tell us a bit about the property

It’s an apartment In St Johns Wood, just off the high street, which had been in the client’s family for fifteen years without ever having any work done to it. It was very dark, run down and outdated.

Tell us a little bit about your clients

Our clients range from families who wish to refresh their property and maybe redesign/extend it to work better for their growing household, to investors looking for our expertise and guidance on how to develop a property to its best potential.

What was the client brief for this project?

The client lives abroad and wanted a complete refurbishment of her property to maximize its rental value. We held meetings with local estate agents to identify potential tenants and to set a budget. Once that was agreed, we devised a fully detailed design scheme and began work on the project.

How big a job was it?

A good-sized, purpose-built two bedroom apartment, that required everything from modifications to the interior architecture, to finishing touches such as cushion covers and flowers for the photo and video shoot.

Were there any particular problems to overcome?

Everything ran very smoothly and on time, with the only potential issue being that the client lives abroad. Thanks to our experience working with international clients on previous projects in India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere, we worked around the distance and time difference with flexible and creative use of communication tools and technology.

With this project, what are you most proud of?

Our client’s budget was limited, but we were briefed to create interiors that gave a sense of luxury. By very carefully choosing our materials and finishes, and by only spending more on key pieces, I believe we were successful in creating exactly the high-spec look our client wanted.

What was the client’s reaction to the finished project?

She was delighted at the transformation of her dark, dilapidated flat into such an inviting, bright and modern space. But even more welcome were the estate agents’ re-evaluations, showing that the increase in value to her property was far greater than the money she’d invested in renovating it.

What are you working on now?

We are currently developing two residential landscape design projects in Waterloo, central London; creating complete interior design schemes for a duplex apartment in Paddington, and preparing the planning application for a residential extension in East Dulwich.

Heart Home

Launched in September 2011, British Interior Design magazine Heart Home is a quarterly publication celebrating all that is unique and good about interior decor and lifestyle. Championing independent British Designers and inspiring readers to create their own great British Homes.

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